diff --git a/views/onts.html b/views/onts.html
index 7873633..cffc8bb 100644
--- a/views/onts.html
+++ b/views/onts.html
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@
 <main>
 <div class="info">
 <p>ontologies of interest
+{{ $firstrune := .FirstRune }}
 {{ $letter := 0 }}
 <ul>
 {{ range .Onts }}
-{{ if not (eq $letter (index .Name 0)) }}
-{{ $letter = (index .Name 0) }}
+{{ if not (eq $letter (call $firstrune .Name)) }}
+{{ $letter = (call $firstrune .Name) }}
 <li><p>
 {{ end }}
 <span style="white-space: nowrap;"><a href="/o/{{ .Name }}">#{{ .Name }}</a> ({{ .Count }})</span>
diff --git a/web.go b/web.go
index 21eb95b..a568a50 100644
--- a/web.go
+++ b/web.go
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import (
 	"strings"
 	"syscall"
 	"time"
+	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	"github.com/gorilla/mux"
 	"humungus.tedunangst.com/r/webs/cache"
@@ -855,7 +856,7 @@ func thelistingoftheontologies(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 			elog.Printf("error scanning ont: %s", err)
 			continue
 		}
-		if len(o.Name) > 24 {
+		if utf8.RuneCountInString(o.Name) > 24 {
 			continue
 		}
 		o.Name = o.Name[1:]
@@ -869,6 +870,7 @@ func thelistingoftheontologies(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	}
 	templinfo := getInfo(r)
 	templinfo["Onts"] = onts
+	templinfo["FirstRune"] = func(s string) rune { r, _ := utf8.DecodeRuneInString(s); return r }
 	err = readviews.Execute(w, "onts.html", templinfo)
 	if err != nil {
 		elog.Print(err)